Means for detachably securing covers to boxes



May 20, 1941. G. H. J. BAULE' MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING COVERS TO BOXES Filed Aug. 28, 1939 INVENTOR. BY $a'1mr HJB WW I ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 20, 1941 IHEAN S FOR DETACHABLY SECURING COVERS TO BOXES Gerhard H. J. Baule, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Grouse-Hinds Company, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 28, 1939, Serial No. 292,180

6 Claims.

This invention relates in general to means for detachably securing covers to boxes. The specific embodiment referred to herein relates to the attachment of covers to electrical conduit outlet boxes.

There are numerous reasons why it is desirable to detachably clamp the cover to the outlet box by means carried entirely by the cover, as distinguished from the method of securing the cover to the box by threading one or more screws into the side wall of the box. Heretofore, it has been conventional practice to provide the cover with one or more abutment members, or a plate formed with abutment members, and one or more nuts which, when operated by screws, are moved into engagement with the inner surface of the opening in the box by the abutments.

This invention has as an object a particularly economical and simplified structure wherein the clamping members and the abutments are formed integral and an ordinary nut and screw are employed to effect movement of the clamping memher into engagement with the side wall of the box, thus avoiding the necessity of forming specially shaped nuts to serve as clamping members and permitting the clamping members and abutments to be conveniently blanked out and formed from flat stock material.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a lengthwise sectional view of a cover embodying my invention and the contiguous portion of an outlet box.

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the structures shown in Figures 1 and 2 with a portion of the cover broken away and parts omitted.

The invention comprises generally a plate formed of sheet metal and arranged on the under side of the cover. One or both ends of the plate is formed with depending spaced apart side members and an intermediate clamping member arranged between the side members and being movable toward and from the cover. The plate is also formed with an integral abutment which is oooperable with the clamping member intermediate its ends and functions to urge the clamping member outwardly endwise into engagement with the end wall or walls of the box upon movement of the clamping member toward the cover. The clamping member is formed to receive an ordinary square nut and a screw extends through the cover and is threaded into the nut to effect movement of the clamping member toward and fromthe cover.

I designates the side wall of a conventional cast metal conduit outlet box which is provided, in one side with an elongated opening to permit access to the interior of the box. The cover II is formed of sheet metal with a recess on the under side, and a radial flange I2 which engages the marginal surface about the opening in the box. For a more detailed view of the outlet box and cover, reference may be had to Patent No. 1,767,226, to J. T. Pearson, June 24, 1930.

The means for detachably securing the cover I I to the outlet box consists of a plate I3 arranged in the recess on the under side of the cover and may, if desired, be attached to the cover by spot welding or the like. As here shown, each end of the plate I3 is of similar formation being provided with integral depending side portions I4, the outer ends I5 of which are formed to engage the end walls I6 of the box to preliminarily position the flange I2 of the cover in register with the marginal surface about the opening in the box.

The plate I3 is also formed on each end with a clamping member arranged intermediate the side portions I4. These clamping members are of U formation having a top wall I8 and depending sides I9. The lower front edges of the sides I9 are formed with projections which extend into the recesses 2| formed in the end walls of the box. The clamping members are an integral part of the plate I3 and are connected thereto by a rearwardly extending portion 23 which is curved downwardly as at 24. The clamping members are free to flex or move toward and from the cover I I. The plate I3 is also formed with an abutment which is engaged by the rear portion of the clamping members during their movement toward the cover and which functions to urge the clamping members outwardly endwise to move the projections 20 into the recesses 2| of the box. As here shown, the abutment consists of a pair of spaced apart flanges 25 arranged intermediate the edges of the portion 23 of the clamping member and the inner surfaces of :the side members I4. The flanges 25 are formed with angular surfaces 26, and these surfaces are engaged by the rear edge of the top I8 of the clamping member.

A nut of square formation is arranged between the depending sides I9 of the clamping members, and a screw 3I extends through an aperture 32 of the cover I l and an aperture 35 in the top plate I8 of the clamping member and is threaded into the nut 30. When the screw 3! is threaded into the nut 3d, the clamping member is caused ,to move toward the cover El, and during this movement it is urged outwardly endwise by the flanges 25, causing the projections 28 to enter the recess 2| and the cover H is thus clamped securely to the box.

llt will be observed that the clamping member and. the abutments are formed integral with the plate I3. The plate I3 is formed of flat sheet metal material and is initially blanked out in proper shape so that it may be subsequently formed at the end portions to provide the integral members described. The blanking and forming operation reduces the cost to a minimum, and the nut 39 and screw 3i are standard articles procurable in the open market and usable in the structure described without further machining or processing.

The cover securing means herein disclosed provides an economical and efficient means for detachably securing the cover to the outlet box.

What I claim is:

1. Means for detachably securing covers to boxes, comprising a plate arranged on the under side of the cover and being formed with depending spaced apart side portions at each end thereof, a nut receiving portion formed integral with said plate and arranged at each end thereof between said depending portions and being movable toward and from the cover, a nut arranged in each nut receiving: portion, each of said nut receiving portions being cooperable to retain said nut against rotation, a screw extending through each end of the cover and threaded into each of said nuts, said nut receiving portions being each formed with integral projections, each nut and screw being cooperable with each nut receiving portion to move the same toward the cover and to move the projections thereof into engagement with the adjacent end wall of the box.

2. Means for detachably securing covers to boxes, comp ising a plate arranged on the under side of the cover and being formed with depending spaced apart side portions at each end thereof and guide portions arranged adjacent the inner sides of the base of said side portions, a nut receiving portion formed integral with said plate and arranged at each end thereof between said depending portions, a nut arranged in each or" said nut receiving portions, a screw extending through the cover and threaded into each of said nuts, said nut receiving portions being formed with integral projections, each nut and screw being oooperable to flex the corresponding nut receiving portion toward the cover into engagement with the adjacent guide member, and said guide member being operable to move said projections of said nut receiving portion into engagement with the end wall of the box.

3. Means for detacha ly securing covers to boxes, comprising a plate arranged on the under side of the cover and being formed with an integral box engaging member at each end, said plate being also formed with integral depending portions arranged on each side of said box engaging members, guide members formed integral with said plate and arranged to engage each of said box engaging members upon movement of the same toward the cover, a nut carried by each of said box engaging members, a screw extending through each end of the cover and extending into each of said nuts, each screw and nut being operable to move the corresponding member toward the cover.

4. Means for detachably securing covers to boxes, comprising a plate formed with a pair of depending side portions at, each end thereof and being also formed with an integral clamping member at each end thereof, said clamping members being arranged between said side portions and being movable relative to the plate toward and from the cover and being formed with projections extending outwardly from the ends of the plate, said plate being also formed with an integral abutment arranged between each pair of side members and being cooperable with each clamping member intermediate its ends to move said member outwardly and said projections thereof into engagernent with the end of the box upon movement of the clamping member toward the cover, a nut carried by each of said clamping members, a screw extending through each end of the cover and threaded into each of said nuts, each nut and screw being cooperable to effect movement of the clamping member toward the cover.

5. Means for detachably securing covers to boxes, comprising a plate formed at its ends with integral depending side portions and a central clamping member, said clamping member having an inwardly extending portion formed integral with said plate, said plate being also formed with an integral abutment cooperable with the rear side of said clamping member to effect outward movement thereof upon movement of the same toward the cover, a nut engaging each of said clamping members, a screw extending through each end of said plate and being cooperable with each nut to effect movement of the clamping member toward the cover.

6. Means for detachably securing covers to boxes, comprising a plate formed at its ends with depending side portions and being also formed with an integral clamping member arranged between said side portions and being movable relative to the plate toward and from the cover, said plate being also formed with an integral abutment arranged between said side members and being cooperable with said clamping member intermediate its ends to move said member outwardly into engagement With the end wall of the box upon movement of the clamping member toward the cover, a nut carried by said clamping member, a screw extending through the cover and threading into said nut, said nut and screw being cooperable to cheat movement of the clamping member toward the cover.

GEP, ARD H. J. BAULE. 

